Security video footage released by the New South Wales State Coroner on Tuesday (March 22) during the inquest into the deaths arising from the Sydney Siege shows the moment police moved in to end the siege at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney in 2014.

After a siege that lasted more than 16 hours, the footage shows Australian security forces on December 16 storming the cafe where hostages were being held at gunpoint, after which a police robot entered the premises to detect for explosive devices.

The siege forced the evacuation of nearby buildings in Sydney’s central business district and sent shockwaves around a country where many had started to turn their attention to the approaching Christmas festive season.

Two hostages, Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, lost their lives during the siege, along with the gunman. Four more people were wounded.

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its escalating action against Islamic State (ISIS / Daesh / ISIL) in Syria and Iraq, has been on high alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East or their supporters, Reuters reported.